The Tao of Tayo (Fatunla)
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Clay Jones, being an editorial cartoonist, is open about expressing his opinions even concerning fellow cartoonists (read the “Creative note” here). Clay has voiced his displeasure about a cartoonist hiding behind a pseudonym, about one reusing political caricatures, and most recently accusing a team of copying his cartoon. (Aside: all those criticized cartoonists are distributed by Cagle Cartoons.)
Tayo Fatunla has been cartooning, politically and otherwise, for nearly fifty years, most famously with his Our Roots series. A week or so ago Tayo Fatunla came under Clay’s observing eyes:
Daryl Cagle is syndicating cartoons created with AI. The cartoonist named Tayo Fatunla is incorporating AI into everything he creates. Note the many different styles he works in. https://cagle.com/tayo-fatunla
As “proof” Jones presents a gallery of Fatunla cartoons with differing styles.
Anyone familiar with Fatunla cartoons would recognize the middle one above as Fatunla’s dominant style.
In search of answers The Daily Cartoonist reached out to Fatunla and he responded:
I am a long‑established cartoonist, designer, and illustrator whose career spans traditional hand‑drawn illustration, digital production and major professional design platforms incorporating the use of CorelDRAW, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, QuarkXPress, and others.
Many of today’s cartoonists were not yet in the profession when I began. Over several decades, I have developed a recognisable and versatile visual language across editorial cartoons, caricature, historical illustration, and educational storytelling. My work is rooted in lived experience, cultural memory, and a commitment to documenting global events, social issues, and Black history.
As my creative practice continues to evolve, I have begun incorporating AI into selected technical stages of my workflow. I use Copilot strictly as a supportive tool — never as a generator of ideas, concepts, or commentary. My artistic vision, humour, editorial stance, and stylistic decisions remain entirely my own. AI assists only with practical tasks such as reference gathering, experimentation and production efficiency; it does not shape the narrative, message, or creative direction of my cartoons.
I still draw traditionally, even as many contemporaries rely on tablets for pencilling, inking, and colouring. I received a Wacom tablet as a birthday gift but never used it. I prefer to work by hand and enhance my artwork through software, maintaining the hand‑drawn foundation that defines my style — and yes, sometimes that includes Microsoft Paint.
I know that some viewers struggle to distinguish between my AI‑assisted experiments and my fully hand‑drawn work — a reflection of the range of styles and techniques I have developed over decades, long before AI existed. For example, an image of Abraham Lincoln that was recently questioned was not AI‑generated; it was drawn almost ten years ago but relevant each time, when needed for reproduction.
…
For me, AI is useful only when it serves the artist, not when it tries to replace the artist. My work remains rooted in my personal perspective and decades of professional experience. Technology may enhance parts of the process, but the concept, the satire and the final expression are always guided by me.
Fatunla added:
My concepts, satire, humour and visual direction all begin with me exactly as they always have, pencilled first. AI plays a limited, supportive role behind the scenes. For example, I may use Copilot to gather visual references, explore composition ideas, or test colour approaches — the same way artists have always used reference photos, digital tools or mood boards. These are simply aids that help me work more efficiently.
The final cartoon — the drawing, the linework, the exaggeration, the storytelling — is created by hand or through my established digital techniques. AI does not dictate my ideas, and it does not produce the finished artwork. I run the tool; the tool does not run me.
The Daily Cartoonist asked Fatunla about the stark difference in two recent Keir Starmer caricatures, the latter one (right) looking very A.I. He responded that, “LOL: Neither of the two were AI generated.”
The Daily Catoonist reached out to Daryl Cagle but did not hear back. However I see that as a straw man since Fatunla has not contributed to Cagle Cartoons since last year and then barely a dozen, mostly before June 2025.
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